Adjusting device with an optical regulating device having a reflector

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an adjusting apparatus having an optical aimer that includes a reflector for adjusting parts of a motor vehicle, in particular distance warning radar, headlights, or an axle; having an emitting device that emits a collimated beam; and having a vertical adjusting device for orienting the reflector at a certain angle to a floor of a measuring station forming the contact plane of the vehicle. An exact vertical alignment or orientation at a certain tilt angle to the floor of the measuring station is achieved by simple measures, in that the emitting device is positioned in a vehicle region remote from the aimer, at a specific, defined level of the vehicle above the measuring-station floor and may be adjusted for emitting the beam at different elevation angles relative to a line parallel to the measuring-station floor, and the vertical adjusting device has a diaphragm unit, which is situated between the aimer and the emitting device and has a vertically adjustable diaphragm, whose level is adjustable in such a manner that the beam directed at the reflector and passing through the diaphragm passes through it again after being reflected at the reflector.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an adjusting apparatus having anoptical aimer that possesses a reflector for adjusting park of a motorvehicle, in particular distance warning radar, headlights, or an axle;having an emitting device that emits a collimated beam, and having avertical adjusting device for aligning the reflector at a certain angleto a floor of a measuring station forming the contact plane of thevehicle.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

German Published Patent Application No. 197 07 590 describes anadjusting apparatus for adjusting distance warning radar, a headlight,or parameters linked to an axle of a motor vehicle, this adjustingapparatus providing for an aimer having a reflector for light orelectromagnetic radiation being positioned in front of the vehicle, e.g.for adjusting the headlight or distance warning radar, in order to usethis to set the headlight or the distance warning radar exactlyaccording to corresponding requirements. To this end, the reflector ofthe aimer must initially be oriented, e.g. exactly at a right angle toan axis of travel of the vehicle. For this purpose, the reflector,preferably a mirror that is appropriately coated to reflect radar waves,may be set at different horizontal and vertical angles. In order toalign the aimer with the vehicle, an adjusting mirror, by which a lineof sight is made to coincide with suitable reference points of the motorvehicle, is attached to the aimer. In particular, the adjustment ofdistance warning radar requires that the reflector be exactlyperpendicular to the contact plane of the vehicle or the floor of themeasuring station, the maximum tolerance being, for example, +/−0.2°.Such vertical adjustment accuracy of the reflector is difficult toattain.

An attempt to make the floor of a measuring station suitably level hasbeen made, in order to subsequently orient the reflector in the verticaldirection. However, it is, in practice, very expensive and difficult toattain such evenness and quality of the measuring-station floor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an adjusting apparatusof the type mentioned at the outset, which allows the reflector to beaccurately aligned at a certain tilt angle to the floor of the measuringstation and, in particular, also allows it to be accurately aligned inthe vertical direction with respect to the floor of the measuringstation, in as simple and attainable a manner as possible.

According to the present invention, it is provided that the emittingdevice be positioned in a vehicle region remote from the aimer, at aparticular, defined height of the vehicle above the floor of themeasuring station, and be adjustable in order to emit the beam atdifferent elevation angles with respect to a line parallel to themeasuring-station floor; and that the vertical adjusting device have adiaphragm unit positioned between the aimer and the emitting device, thediaphragm unit having a vertically adjustable diaphragm, whose level isadjustable in such a manner that the beam directed towards the reflectorand passing through the diaphragm passes through it again after beingreflected at the reflector.

These measures allow the tilt angle of the reflector to be adjusted tobe exactly perpendicular to the incident beam, and thus, adjusted in aselective manner. If, for example, the emitting device is secured inposition with respect to a rear wheel, at the level of its axle, and thediaphragm is adjusted to a corresponding level and positioned next tothe front wheel on the same side of the vehicle, while the aimer havingthe reflector is positioned laterally in front of the vehicle, as anextension of the line from the emitting device through the diaphragm,then the angle of the reflector with respect to the floor of themeasuring station is exactly 90°, when the beam reflected by thereflector travels through the diaphragm. In this connection, the widthof the diaphragm aperture approximately corresponds to the diameter ofthe collimated beam.

Simple handling with a simple design of the adjusting apparatus isobtained by supporting the reflector at a support of the aimer, so as toswivel about a horizontal axis, attaching the emitting device to avehicle wheel as an extension of a wheel axis, with the aid of a holdingdevice, and positioning the diaphragm next to a further wheel, on asupport standing up on the floor of the measuring station, so as to bedisplaceable and securable in an adjusting position.

Simple and definite adjustability is achieved in that the diaphragm is aslit diaphragm running horizontally, and the emitting device is a laserunit. In this context, the horizontal slit diaphragm and the laser beamsimplify the adjustment.

An embodiment that is favorable for the design and handling provides forthe diaphragm being formed in an essentially rectangular plate having atleast two parallel, vertical guideways spaced apart from each other anda clamping screw guided in a vertical slot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an adjusting apparatus with a motorvehicle positioned on the floor of a measuring station.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of the set-up of the adjustingapparatus.

FIG. 3 shows a further, schematic side view of the set-up of theadjusting apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle positioned on the floor of a testingstation, a vertical adjusting device being situated at the side of themotor vehicle for adjusting a reflector 2.1 of an aimer 2. Abeam-generation unit 3.1 taking the form of a laser unit (laser pointer)is mounted on the rear wheel as an extension of the wheel axis, using aholding device 3.2 that is, e.g. in the form of a quick-acting clampingsupport. Emerging from an outlet plane 3.3 situated on the front ofbeam-generation unit 3.1 is a beam 3.4, which travels through adiaphragm 4.1 of a diaphragm unit 4 and strikes reflector 2.1, and whenreflector 2.1 is aligned vertically, the beam is reflected again as areflected beam 3.5, through the diaphragm 4.1 taking the form of a slitdiaphragm. These interrelationships are schematically represented inFIGS. 2 and 3.

The reflector is supported on a support 2.2 set up, e.g. on the floor ofa measuring station or attached to the ceiling of a measuring space, soas to be tiltable about a horizontal axis. For example, in order toadjust distance-warning radar, reflector 2.1 is preferably made of amirror, which is coated with a coating suitable for reflecting the radarwaves during the adjustment of the distance-warning radar.

The diaphragm unit 4 situated next to the front wheel has anapproximately rectangular plate, which is angular at the sides and hashorizontal slit diaphragm 4.1. The plate is supported on a support 4.2set up on floor 5 of a measuring station, so as to be able to slidevertically, and may be clamped by a clamping screw that is guided in avertical slot. Aperture 4.3 of the slit diaphragm has a width whichapproximately corresponds to the diameter of the laser beam or issomewhat greater than the beam diameter.

If the level of aperture 4.3 of diaphragm 4.1 corresponds to the levelof beam-generation unit 3.1, then beam 3.4 travels parallelly tomeasuring-station floor 5, which may be inclined with respect to ahorizontal line 6, as shown by FIG. 2. If the alignment of reflector 2.1is such that reflected beam 3.5 passes through aperture 4.3 of diaphragm4.1, then reflector 2.1 is exactly perpendicular to the contact plane ofthe vehicle, a tolerance of +/−0.1° due to the relatively long distanceof reflector 2.1 from diaphragm unit 4 and emitting device 3 beingeasily adhered to. It is also possible to set other tilt angles ofreflector 2.1, when the levels h of emitting device 3 and aperture 4.3of diaphragm unit 4 above the measuring-station floor are different.

The advantage of attaching emitting device 3 to a wheel of thenonsteerable vehicle axle, normally the rear axle, is that the sameholding device 3.2 and the same emitting device 3 may be used as arealso used for ascertaining an axis of travel.

The procedure for adjustment is, for example, as follows: at a rearwheel, aperture 4.3, which is in the form of the slit of diaphragm unit4, is set to the level of the laser unit. Diaphragm 4.1 is thenpositioned next to the front wheel. Using swivelling emitting device 3,the laser beam is adjusted so that it travels through the slit ofdiaphragm 4.1 and is reflected onto diaphragm 4.1 by reflector 2.1.Reflector 2.1 is then adjusted until the laser beam is reflected throughthe slit of diaphragm 4.1. Reflector 2.1 is then oriented exactlyperpendicularly to the contact plane of the vehicle. The level h of theslit above measuring-station floor 5 may also be set, for example, usinga ruler.

What is claimed is:
 1. An adjusting apparatus, comprising: an opticalaimer including a reflector for adjusting a part of a vehicle; anemitting device that emits a collimated beam; and a vertical adjustingdevice for orienting the reflector at a certain angle to a floor of ameasuring station forming a contact plane of the vehicle, wherein: theemitting device is positioned in a vehicle region remote from theoptical aimer, at a specific, defined level of the vehicle above themeasuring-station floor and is capable of being adjusted for emittingthe collimated beam at different elevation angles relative to a lineparallel to the measuring-station floor, and the vertical adjustingdevice includes a diaphragm unit situated between the optical aimer andthe emitting device, the diaphragm unit including avertically-adjustable diaphragm whose level may be adjusted such thatthe collimated beam directed at the reflector and passing through thevertically-adjustable diaphragm passes through the vertically-adjustablediaphragm again after being reflected at the reflector.
 2. The adjustingapparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein: the part includes one of adistance warning radar, a headlight, and an axle.
 3. The adjustingapparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein: the reflector is supported ona support of the optical aimer, so as to be able to swivel about ahorizontal axis, the emitting device is attached to a vehicle wheel asan extension of a wheel axis, using a holding device, and thevertically-adjustable diaphragm is positioned next to a further wheel,on another support standing up on the measuring-station floor, so as tobe displaceable and securable in an adjusting position.
 4. The adjustingapparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein: the vertically-adjustablediaphragm includes a horizontally running, slit diaphragm, and theemitting device includes a laser unit.